Mrs. Grace Carcamo, an English teacher at William Matthew Middle School, has been named one of Missouri’s Outstanding Beginning Teachers by the Missouri Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (MACTE). Every two years, MACTE honors exemplary first- and second-year PK-12th grade teachers across the state.
Dr. Jocelyn Stevens, Education Department Chair at Truman State University, announced Carcamo’s selection for the award after she was nominated by Truman faculty. The nomination highlighted Carcamo’s ability to provide excellent instruction and build meaningful relationships with her students, while consistently striving to improve her teaching. The faculty member who submitted the nomination wrote, “Watching her grow as a teacher has been inspiring.”
Carcamo, who majored in communications as an undergraduate at Truman State, later earned her Master of Arts in Education. Although she initially thought elementary education would be her career path, she embraced the opportunity to teach middle school students when it arose. Grace is now in her second year teaching sixth and seventh grade students.
When asked what she enjoys most about teaching, Grace focuses on her students. She loves when they share how something they’ve learned in class connects to life outside of school. “Whether it’s spotting a vocabulary word in a book they’re reading or noticing a simile in an advertisement, these moments show the meaningful relationships we’ve built,” Carcamo explains.
Originally from the St. Louis area, Carcamo graduated from Westminster Christian Academy. She and her husband, Alessandro, have made Kirksville their home. “What I love most about Kirksville is the sense of community. Coming from a larger town, I really appreciate the close-knit atmosphere here, where I can run into friends while walking around town,” says Carcamo.
